Millheim Journal. [volume] (Millheim, Pa.) 1876-1984, 1887-06-16
What She Dreamed OF.

the very e,age o. the work house, as IL were,
and made sort Of town folks here, with %
corner bedroom 10 herself aud fringed
towel on the bureau, as % lady couldn't hev
no nicer And here she is, n frettin' and
oryin' half the time
They're fault-fndin' set, anyhow, said
Dorcas Jones. Amt no use tryin' 10 salts
fy them. I've Civ 1t up, long ago Hired
gals is hired-gals =
But she ain't hired-gal = protested Mrs.
Popley. I've took her all the same as my
own'
More fool you Z remarked Miss Jones.
But she keenly observed Marietta Tyson
Commonly called ,Maritty) when she
brought In the teapot, and the plate of hot
biscuit for supper.
a tall girl, with eyes nv black as cher
ries, and cheeks for all the world like they
, had been painted, muttered she TO herself.
She's pretty, I'll allow. j wouldn't take
no such hired gal into our house, with John
Henry around. Men are 30 queer I'D
ruther do the housework myself, until L
drop
Dorcas Jones's visit was rather prolong-
| cal, and IL was nine o'clock-a portentously
late hour for those country wildernesses-
when Mt last the redou btable John Henry
escorted his aunt home, and Mrs. Popley
came into tho kitchen, where Maritty sat
moodily by the fire.
'Maritty > said she, is everything ready
to lock up and 60 10 bed p
Yes, Mrs. Popley.'
The old lady came 10 n dead standstill.
Maritty > said she, you've been crying
again.
Maritty jumped up and threw her arms
around Mrs. Popley's neck.
Il cant help il = she sobbed. Oh can't
help It, am NO unhappy !
what troubles you, Maritty p said the
old lady kindly.
IL want 20 be LADY, sobbed Maritty.
Il want house of my own, with piano in
the best room, and a carpet on the floor
that's what / want =
Hush = said Mrs. Popley. What's
that p
Maritty turned scarlet.
It's the wind rattling the old lay-lock
bushes against the wooden shutters, said
she.
NO, faint said Mrs. Popley. It's
somebody knocking. Open the door, Ma
ritty =
It's rats T persisted the girl, who was
now rs pale as ashes. IL often hear them
when I'm here all by myself
Nonsense = cried Mrs. Popley. Do you
s'pose don't know rats when hear 'em
Open the door, / say, or I'll open il myself :
And she did open IL herself, for Maritty
! had sunk trembling on n chair, her face COW
cred 10y both hands.
A little old man stood there under the
dew-dropping lilac bushes, his white hair
cleaning in the starlight, a certain implor-
ing look in his faded eyes.
Good gracious = said Mrs Popley, It's
tramp ; and Popley gone to the city !!
The old man, however, did not seem TO
hear her.
'Maritty = he said in faint, subdued
voice-'whcres Maritty? want tc 1peak
TO Maritty.'
Il wonder said Mrs Popley, in a sudden
panic, if we'd better loose the dog? oh,
Marittv you'd better cut across the fields
and tell John Henry Jones and his aunt to
clme back They can't be g,ne far
But Maritty had recovered herself all of q
sudden She rose and came TO the door.
NO., said she, 'tain't necessary TO do that
IL amt tramp-leastways il amt n tramp
that will do you any harm, Mrs. Popley.
It's-my father
Your father, Maritty " gasped the good
old woman.
YES the girl doggedly answered. He's
on the town at Mudville, poor father Is.
told you, didn't T. with hard mirthless
laugh, that we weren't a very prosperous
family And they amt very good TO him,
nor he don't get any too much to eat (; and
80 I've taken the liberty every night to give
| him the sour milk, that was left I'm the pail
Fathers dreadful partial TO sour milk, and
didn't think 1t any harm, and
Harm = cried the old woman. Tell him
| to come in-tell him TO sit down right away.
Give him some of the raspberry short-cake
and glass o. milk outen the nights milk
en-. But why on earth didn't You tell me,
Maritty Why did you keep this secret
from me p
The girl looked up with glittering wet
eyes.
Did you s'pose wanted folks to know
how low the Tyson family had fell p said
she bitterly. Father had n farm of his own
once, and he'd a had 1t now ef he hadn't
underwrit for his brother and lost it all
And that's why want TO be lady, with
house of my own-to give father home
Old Mr.. Tyson slept in the kitchen-cham-
her that night rather to his own bewilder-
ment but he had reached that stage of do
cile servility in which he accepted all things
M n matter of course, and understood very
little about 1t.
Maritty told him that 1t was all right
and he implicitly believed her, and troubled
himself no further on the subject,
I've mind to let the poor old creatur'
stay here said Mrs. Popley. There's the
kitchen chamber amt never used for moth
| in. and shouldn't never feel what he eats
and drinks, and he might do odd jobs about
| the barn.
Mr.. Popley, however, who had by this
time returned shook his head
'Maritty's very well, said he; but we
can't keep open house for all her people.
There amt never no KNOWN where this
things goin' to stop. guess, Phoebe Ann,
we'd better let him 60 about his own busi-
ness, and tell Maritty not to feed him at our
back-door no more. don't quite approve
of the principle.
When Miss Dorcas Jones heard of this
new development she chuckled within her.
self.
Amt I glad that Maritty Tyson amt
| orr b;rad ool % said she I don't s'pose